Find Divorce Decree Records in Iberville Parish

Iberville Parish divorce decree records are held at the Clerk of Court office in Plaquemine and are public under Louisiana law. The 18th Judicial District Court handles all divorce cases in Iberville Parish, and the Clerk of Court at the Plaquemine courthouse is the official custodian of all final judgments and civil case documents from the parish.

Iberville Parish Clerk of Court

The Clerk of Court in Plaquemine is the official custodian of all divorce decree records in Iberville Parish. This office handles civil filings, stores court documents, and provides copies of final divorce judgments from the 18th Judicial District Court. The 18th JDC is shared between Iberville, West Baton Rouge, and Pointe Coupee parishes. For divorce cases filed in Iberville Parish, all records remain at the Plaquemine courthouse.

The clerk's office is at 58050 Meriam Street, P.O. Box 423, Plaquemine, LA 70765. The phone number is (225) 687-5160. Call during business hours to find out about current office hours and to ask about record search procedures. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID when you visit in person. ID is required to get certified copies of divorce records in Iberville Parish.

There is a paid terminal access system at the clerk's office. You can use the public terminal at the courthouse to search records for $20 per day or $75 per month. An annual subscription is available for $800 per year. When you search and print records from the terminal, you pay $1 per page for the imaging. If you ask the clerk's staff to make copies for you, that costs $2 per page. Certification of a document costs an additional $10 per document.

The Louisiana Court Records site for Iberville Parish provides basic case index information. It can help you locate a case number before visiting the clerk in person.

Mail requests are accepted at the P.O. Box 423 address in Plaquemine. Include both parties' names, the year of the divorce, the case number if available, and a check or money order for the fees. Specify whether you want a plain or certified copy.

How to Get Iberville Parish Divorce Decree Records

There are three main ways to get divorce records from Iberville Parish: use the in-house terminal at the courthouse, ask the clerk's staff to pull and copy the records, or mail a written request. Each has different costs and different turnaround times. In person is fastest. Mail takes longer but works for people who cannot travel to Plaquemine.

For the fastest search, visit the Plaquemine courthouse and use the public records terminal. You pay $20 for one day of access. You can search by party name or case number. When you find the file, you print what you need at $1 per page. This gives you an uncertified copy. If you need a certified copy, ask the clerk's staff to certify it for an additional $10 per document.

If you prefer to have the staff handle the search, they charge $2 per page for copies they make. This is more than the terminal rate but may be easier if you are not comfortable using the system. Either way, you will need to present a valid government ID before getting copies of divorce records.

Before your visit, use the free eClerks LA statewide portal to look up the case by name. The index is free. Having the case number before you arrive will make the in-person search faster and save you time at the terminal. eClerks LA covers civil, land, marriage, and probate records for many Louisiana parishes.

Filing for Divorce in Iberville Parish

Divorce cases in Iberville Parish are filed with the Clerk of Court and heard by the 18th Judicial District Court. Louisiana Civil Code Article 3941 requires at least one spouse to be domiciled in Louisiana. You file in the parish where either spouse lives. Iberville residents file in Plaquemine.

Filing a petition for divorce is the first step. You pay the filing fee and get a case number from the clerk. The petition is the first public document in your case file. Your spouse must be served with the papers. A sheriff or process server handles that. Every document filed after that point goes into the same file. All of it is public under La. R.S. 44:1.

Louisiana Civil Code Article 102 sets the waiting period. No minor children means you wait 180 days after filing before the court can grant the divorce. Minor children means you wait 365 days. Under Article 103, if you had already been living apart for the required time before filing, you can request an immediate judgment of divorce. This path skips the additional waiting period. The clerk's staff can tell you which form applies to your case type.

Louisiana is a community property state. Louisiana Civil Code Article 2325 says all property and debts gained during the marriage belong equally to both spouses. The Iberville Parish divorce decree will address how the community property is divided. It will also cover child custody, visitation, and any support orders. Once the judge signs the final order, it becomes a permanent public record in Plaquemine.

What Iberville Parish Divorce Decree Records Contain

The divorce decree is the judge's final signed order. It is the legal document that ends the marriage. Certified copies carry the clerk's seal. These are what courts, agencies, lenders, and other states require when they need proof of a divorce. Certified copies from Iberville Parish cost $2 per page for the copy plus a $10 certification fee per document.

A divorce decree from Iberville Parish includes both spouses' names, the date of marriage, the grounds for divorce, how community property is divided, child custody and visitation terms, child support amounts, and any spousal support ordered. Under La. R.S. 44:1, these records are public. You can request access to any of them. You do not need to be a party to the case to view the record.

Do not confuse an Iberville Parish divorce decree with a divorce certificate from the Louisiana Department of Health. The LDH issues certificates that confirm a divorce occurred. They cost $9 and contain only basic facts. They do not show the property division or custody terms. For any matter that requires the full court order, you need the decree from the Iberville Parish Clerk of Court, not a certificate from the state health department.

Legal Help for Iberville Parish Residents

Free legal help is available for qualifying residents in Louisiana. Baton Rouge-area legal aid groups serve Iberville Parish. Southeast Louisiana Legal Services and Compass (formerly LARC Legal Services) both handle family law matters. Call 211 to find out if you qualify for free help. Income guidelines apply.

Louisiana Law Help at louisianalawhelp.org has free guides for handling your own divorce. The site explains Article 102 and Article 103 divorces in plain language and covers community property and custody rules. It also has links to court forms used in Louisiana. These resources are free and are a good starting point for anyone considering a self-represented divorce.

The Louisiana State Bar Association runs a statewide lawyer referral service. If you do not qualify for free legal aid, a bar referral can connect you with a family law attorney in the Iberville Parish area. The Louisiana Clerks of Court Association also has general information on public records requests and clerk services statewide.

Cities in Iberville Parish

Iberville Parish includes Plaquemine as its parish seat. Other communities in the parish include White Castle, Maringouin, and Grosse Tete. All divorce cases from the parish are filed at the Plaquemine courthouse through the 18th Judicial District Court. No cities in Iberville Parish meet the population threshold for a separate city page on this site.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes border Iberville Parish. The 18th Judicial District Court is shared with West Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee parishes. File your case in the parish where you or your spouse actually lives.